Red Dwarf star Craig Charles has quit British reality show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! after learning of his brother's death. Charles left the jungle challenge, which is being filmed in Australia, on Thursday morning (20Nov14) after discovering his sibling Dean passed away after suffering a heart attack on Tuesday evening (18Nov14).
A spokesperson for ITV, the network behind the hit TV series, says, "Craig decided to leave the IAC camp earlier today and will be heading back to his family in the UK. We send our sincere condolences to Craig and his family."
Charles has become the second person to leave the series within 24 hours after British reality star Gemma Collins quit on Wednesday (19Nov14).
Former The X Factor U.K. contestant Jake Quickenden and former politician Edwina Currie are set to head into the jungle as replacements on Thursday.
Westlife singer Kian Egan, who triumphed on the show last year (13), has tweeted his condolences to Charles, writing, "This is so sad."

"Sam Bailey gave birth to her third child, a beautiful baby girl, at 10.41am this morning. Both Mother and baby are doing well." British singer and former The X Factor contestant Sam Bailey gave birth to her third child on Wednesday (10Sep14). Bailey and her husband Craig have two other children, Brook and Tommy.

Drafthouse Films via Everett Collection
There are a lot of ideas floating around in Cheap Thrills. They're interesting, they're dense, and they're fruitful endeavors for the world of psychological horror. But they are relegated to floating, never quite anchoring into any real conclusions or statements about their desperate, depraved subjects.
We meet Craig (Pat Healy), a happily married father of one, on a particularly bad day: he loses his job, is slapped with an eviction notice, and — to top it all off — bumps into a pesky old chum (Ethan Embry) from his younger days. A fellow who Craig, a loser in his own right, judges for never having gone anywhere. As the high school buddies catch up, they are roped into the increasingly violent and grotesque high jinks of a pair of thrill-seeking strangers (David Koechner, giving an impressively haunting performance, and a nearly wordless Sara Paxton) with the promise of bright financial futures dangled in front of them. The men, each of thinning pride, gradually give way to monetary temptation as they play along in these treacherous mind games, the biggest mystery being if a limit to their desperation exists.
Drafthouse Films via Everett Collection
Although it's an intriguing venture, the sociological study stops at its thesis question. In truth, the movie's philosophical makeup can be summed up with the Klondike Bar slogan. Still, there is meat to be found: the bubbling lava underneath the crust of Craig and Vince's (Embry) long dormant friendship comes with a few humanistic ditties about breaking free from your past, and the pangs inherent in facing off with someone who knows the you that you've been trying to escape. But these ideas, too, aren't milked to their full potential. The only element of the film that does hit its promised summit: the grossness.
Cheap Thrills does deliver, and then some, on the ick factor. It's not an abundance of gore or violence that does it, but the visceral, intimate nature with which the gore is handled. Everything is up close and personal, all pains really felt. If this is your bag, then Cheap Thrills will come through here. But psychologically, it does little more than present would-be interesting ideas. Fun in the set-up, occasionally thrilling in the delivery, but never particularly fulfilling in the conclusion.
2.5/5
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The latest winner of Britain's The X Factor, Sam Bailey, has revealed she is pregnant with her third child. The former prison officer and her husband Craig already have two children, eight-year-old daughter Brook, and five-year-old son, Tommy.

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As our Latino Prince gears up to meet his future amor, he puts in some bro time with last season’s “Batch-oh-lure” (as Juan Pablo says it), Sean Lowe. “Who else I was gonna call?” He’s da guy” JP reminds us. Lowe’s sage advice? Kiss as many gals as you like, but make sure the other women don’t see you and stay open minded. Well it worked for Sean and his fiancé Catherine. With that it’s time for our boy to embark on his “aventura.” That’s Juan Pablo for “journey.”98 minutes of pre-cap and re-cap in, bring on the women! All 27 of them. There’s typically only 25 but Juan Pablo has been so popular that he gets an extra two to reject. He starts to sweat as the first limo pulls up. "How am I going to send anyone hooooome?" An exhaustive list of the courtesans is below, but if you don’t like getting prematurely attached, here’s what we can learn about Juan Pablo (and men in general) from this episode.- Guys don’t like hair color that doesn’t exist in nature (Kylie)- Never cry on a first date. Insecurity is not cute (Lauren)- Dress elegantly and compose yourself as a lady. Save the freaky stuff for the fantasy suites. Juan Pablo is looking for a role model for Cameeeela after all (well played, Sharleen aka Miss “first impression” rose)- Seem uninterested. Make them do the begging (you win again, Sharleen ... except you’re not really playing, you’re just really not that into him. Get it together, girl!)- He looks better in clothes. Did I just commit "Bachelor" blasphemy?- JP takes great comfort in talking to the cameramen
The list of contenders follows. I’d skip to the highlight reel if I were you, or just watch the episode. It’ll be quicker. But if you’re bored at work, carry on "Bachelor" Nation:
Amy L, 27, Orlando - The local news reporter is first out of the limo. She offers up a wholesome hug and an otherwise dull introduction. Step it up, sister.Cassandra, 21, MI - She’s a retired NBA cheerleader turned makeup artist. Deep! There’s a horribly uncomfortable pause after they hug which she makes worse by pointing out how awkward the moment is. “We’re good. We’re on the same page,” Juan Pablo assures her. And on to the next.Christy, 24, IL - Her white gown really brings out her spray tan and bleached hair but Juan Pablo seems smitten. She’s the first to illicit a “Wow, gorgeous!” from JP. Guess he’s into blondes.Christine, 23, Miami - The “Police Support Specialist” (secretary?) gets another “Oh my God” from JP. Point 2 for blondes! She offers him a name bracelet to give Camila. Nice touch, Christine. But it's not enough. Nikki, 26, Kansas City - Despite the weird back tattoo, I'd first impression rose the heck out of this one. She’s a baby nurse who brings a stethoscope so Juan Pablo can listen to her heart / graze her boobs a little bit. After her he exclaims “No more leeemos” to no one in particular. Seriously, Juan Pablo, who are you talking to?Kat, 29, AZ - She breaks the touch barrier by requesting an impromptu salsa lesson. Juan Pablo is game. And I crack. This naysayer is officially Team Pablo.Chantel, 27, CA - She’s spilling out of her blue bandaid dress. Otherwise, we're sure she's a lovely girl. Victoria, 24, FL - The Brazilian exchanges a few Portugese words with Juan Pablo but she’s completely overshadowed by the next out the gate.Lucy, 24, CA – Her job description is “free spirit” (read: unemployed and trust-funded) so it’s not surprising when she flutters out in some wispy Urban Outfitters hippy dress and bare feet, badly in need of a pedicure. Juan Pablo seems to be charmed by her act. Maybe he doesn’t have a type after all.Danielle, 25, MO – She has curly hair. Curly haired girls historically don’t do well on the Bachelor.Lauren S, 26, TX – The music composer rolls in (literally) playing the piano. JP’s reaction is nothing short of adorable, even though she flubs a few of the last notes. He even musters a tear when she tells him that she composed the song for him because, duh, “Music is mi vida.” Our prediction: the other girls will eat this geek alive. Until then, play on sweet Lauren.Chelsie, 24, Ohio – She’s a “science educator” so it totally makes sense that she brings JP a little experiment accompanied by the not so sly “Instead of doing chemistry, why don’t we have chemistry?” (that's not a real sentence, teacher lady!) After she removes her safety goggles (wayfarers) manic laughter proceeds. In the pre-cap we see her recruiting a random Hispanic woman in the park to give her rudimentary Spanish lessons. Resourceful! He very obviously checks out her silver lame-covered booty as she walk away. Again with the blonde thing.Valerie, 26 CA, - Miss “I’m a pretty girl but I’m not afraid to scratch someone’s eyes out” is a personal trainer who rocks some cowgirl boots under her tacky dress, presumably to stomp on the other girls with? She doesn't get the chance. Elise, 27, “Forty Fort” PA – Besides being dressed like a disco ball, there are no real disasters to report here.Ashley, 25, Dallas - She gives Juan Pablo a gold star sticker, like she does her first grade students which he promptly loses by the time the next girl comes out of the limo.Clare, 32, CA – Because nothing attracts a man more than carrying another guy’s baby, Clare straps on a big ol’ preggers belly and basically asks JP to put a kid in her. Chick’s crazy. But her father died of brain cancer so we’ll give her a pass. Plus, before he went, he made DVD for her to give to her future husband. The number one (15th?) rule of cinema is you don’t show a gun if you ain’t going to shoot it. I look forward to sobbing 6 episodes from now Juan Pablo watches this DVD and then sends her off alone in that black car to hell.Alli, 26, Chicago She comes out kicking around a soccer ball which Juan Pablo decides to keep. Greedy. Amy, 31, LA Watching this massage therapist sensually knead some guy’s body while a distorted version of yoga was a lowlight for me.Renne, 32, FL, She’s a single mommy who likes to run half-naked on the beach so they have tons in common. She’ll stick around for awhile. As she sashays away Juan Pablo calls out “Bye Mama!” as the JP swoon factor swells to an all time high.Lauren, 25, OK She’s a “mineral coordinator” - which we can only assume means that she works in the salt section of the local grocery store – who was recently dumped by her fiancé. She’s a wounded bird who’s interests include pondering life lakeside and watching other people get married across said lake like a creepy, sad, voyeur.Maggie, 24, SC The “personal banker” (has a checking account?) gives Juan Pablo the gift of a fishing hook (which is not a gift) in hopes that he’ll be a good catch. He sends her back.Kelly, 27 &amp; Molly the dog – She’s a “dog lover” by trade so naturally she brought her pup to do the charming on her behalf.Lacy, 25, CA When she’s not caring for old people in the nursing home she owns, she’s looking after her 9 special needs family members. Heart of gold much? As if she couldn’t be any kinder, she gives Juan Pablo a prescription from “Cupid’s Pharmacy” to cure his headache. Sadly they’re just red hots. He politely chokes one down.Alexis, 24, FL She makes a feeble attempt to speak Spanish, because that hasn’t been thought of before.Kylie, 23, IL Her orange hair and pretty, pretty princess dress makes her oh so Tinkerbell-chic. Not a good look as she walks away mid conversation.Sharleen, 29, Germany, Lots of side boob happening for this frigid opera singer in her otherwise concealing drapey chiffon dress which Juan Pablo is all about. His compliment does nothing to lighten her up. “I can’t wait to hear you sing.” (eyeroll) “I’ll hear you, I promise” (foreboding). She walks away, head held high, leaving a cool breeze in her wake. “Singers, I like singers…” he says to no one.Andi 26, Georgia The producers saved (one of) the bests for last. Juan Pablo is clearly smitten this assistant DA (frankly, we’re intimidated). She’s hot and she prosecutes gangs.And now, let the accelerated champagne drinking commence! Juan Pablo, who’d henceforth like to be referred to as the “dancing Bachelor” kicks off the party by breaking it down with the ladies. Between the music and the photo booth this Sweet 16 is off to a fantastic start as he puts most of holiday Barbies at ease. We gotta say, Juan Pablo is really owning it.
The party highlights:Most awkward moment: Amy massages Juan Pablo over his suit. She groans. He spends the rest of the party covered in essential oil.Worst way to stand out: Tear-stained Lauren kicks off her conversation with Juan Pablo with “I don’t want to lead with this, but I just broke off an engagement a month ago.” It was nice knowing you.Best cover for not knowing someone’s name: Juan Pablo says to Renee “how are you mom?” before opening up about his ex and tells her that Camila was the best goal of his life (is that a gross sperm reference?) He does manage to remember Renee’s kid’s name. A sign that she’ll go strong for many episodes until she offs herself because she misses her son (aka, fears humiliation of rose ceremony send-off)Most ESL moment: While “free spirit” Lucy splays her dirty feet atop Juan Pablo he remarks that she seems like a “happy camper” yet he miraculously keeps her around. How does that make you feel, other rejects?Most Oblivious Moment: Juan Pablo just can’t get over how elegant opera singer Sharleen is. Clearly this is because she’s the only girl not showing cleavage. Juan Pablo’s takeaway from her diatribe about her quest to find a vegetarian pea soup in Germany is that she’s “cultured” and therefore will be a good mate and so while she sits uncomfortably draped in his jacket, telling the cameras how disappointed she was that she felt no connection with Juan Pablo, he goes off to fetch her the first impression rose. She coldly responds “Thank you, sir.” Sir? Seriously? Clueless Juan Pablo confides “I know she’ll sleep well tonight because I gave her a rose.” We think you’re cute.Cringiest Moment (spoiler alert): When Juan Pablo calls Kat’s name in the rose ceremony and Kylie steps forward. Shudders.And the survivors are…Clare, Nikki, Renee, Andi, Alli, Chantel, Lauren S, Kelli (&amp; Molly), Cassandra, Danielle Chelsea, Lucy, Victoria, Kirstie, Kat, Lucy, and a very smug Amy LAs a reward for making it through the longest night (and recap. sorry), we end by watching Juan Pablo teach Sean how to salsa dance. Simply adorable. Now let's find you a wife!
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Several shows are premiering new seasons this week, while J.J. Abrams returns to TV with Almost Human. Here's what else you need to be watching.
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The GoldbergsWhatever happened to Jeff Garlin, the former sidekick to Larry David's slightly more misanthropic version of himself on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm? He's starring on The Goldbergs, the most sitcom-y new sitcom to debut on network TV this year. Despite coming off a slow start, the show is gradually finding its voice, which is why ABC renewed it for a full season. It's not quite as laugh-out-loud funny as Curb, but thanks to Garlin and Patton Oswalt, who narrates the show, it's still good for a few chuckles. A new episode of The Goldbergs airs Tuesday at 9PM ET on ABC.
Finding BigfootFor three seasons (and counting!), a rag-tag group of cryptic zoologists have been on the hunt for that ever-elusive creature known as Sasquatch. Spoiler alert: they still haven't found him! Will the mysterious ape-like being ever be located when the fourth season of Finding Bigfoot premieres on Sunday night? I'm guessing not. Finding Bigfoot airs Sunday nights at 7PM ET on Animal Planet.
ScandalFresh off her hilarious hosting job on Saturday Night Live, Kerry Washington returns to her hit political series with a brand new episode. No comedy here, unfortunately, unless you consider the show's intricate plotlines involving various lies and backstabbing among Washington's political elite as topical humor. But then we already have Fox News for that, now don't we? A new episode of Scandal airs at 10PM ET this Thursday on ABC.
Almost HumanA futuristic detective must save the modern world from its many corrupting forces. Sound like a done-before concept for a TV show? Factor in that his partner is an android and you have Almost Human, the new sci-fi series from J.J. Abrams. Hey, I'll watch that! Almost Human debuts this Sunday at 8PM ET on FOX.
Unique SweetsEver wonder what pie would taste like as a butterscotch cocktail? The good folks over at Unique Sweets have, which is why they've focused an entire episode on developing the tasty new drink, as well as some oddball ice cream flavors. Let's face it, there's just no way you can have a show about dessert mash-ups and not have people watch it. Unique Sweets kicks off its season four this Sunday at 7PM ET on the Cooking Channel.
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Former Spice Girls star Melanie Brown has been banned from guest-hosting an Australian TV show due to her ongoing feud with network chiefs. Earlier this year (13) the Brit found herself at the centre of a legal dispute Down Under after giving up her job as a judge on The X Factor, which is aired on the country's Seven network, so she could sit on the panel of Australia's Got Talent, carried by rival Channel Nine.
Bosses at Seven blocked the move, proving in court that Brown remained under contract with them, and now they have fired off a 'cease and desist' letter preventing her from appearing on nightly panel show The Project.
Executive producer Craig Campbell tells the Sydney Morning Herald, "Her management said it was all good to go. Then there was a bit of a 'cease and desist' from Channel Seven that was enforced yesterday afternoon and we had to pull all our promos.
"For us, it's business. We don't want to upset anyone - it's not in our world to do that - so when Seven told us about this, we went, 'You've actually got a fair point there.' It's all good."
A representative for Seven says, "It's a court ruling."
American male model Tyson Beckford will replace Brown. The singer's fellow former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell eventually landed the Australia's Got Talent job, while Brown returned to the U.S. to sit on the American version.

How does one calculate the success of a director? Though not mutually exclusive, critical acclaim and box office returns are usually the measuring sticks when it comes to Hollywood filmmaking.
One film director who has become known for financial triumphs, but who has become a bit of a pariah with critics, is Michael Bay. His movies typify giant Hollywood blockbusters, but in terms of artistry and substance, he’s been found more-than-slightly lacking in a myriad of reviews over the years.
We are well aware of how most critics feel about Bay, whose latest Pain &amp; Gain arrives in theaters this week, as a filmmaker. But where does he stand with the theater-going public? His movies continue to make serious coin, so obviously he still has an audience, but we decided to poll both fans and detractors alike to better understand where Bay’s reputation stands.
There were those who were rather effusive with their love for Bay. “Michael is a genius,” says Chris Todd of Austin, Texas. “He has a understanding of visuals that few directors do, I really believe he's top tier on that regard.” Todd acknowledges that the location in which Bay’s films are seen makes a tremendous difference. “What makes him great is that he's one of the few guys left today who makes films for the big screen. He has no interest in the home experience really. It's all about the theater. And that's why his work loses a lot of power once it's viewed at home.”
His visual prowess also proved a major draw for fan Jenni Lee. “I love his panorama shots,” she says, “hands down the bomb scene from Pearl Harbor is one of the most gut wrenching scenes in history, not only because you know what happens when it hits, but because if the way it was shot. He also knows how to film explosions in an epic way.” Lee went on to note that his visuals prove to be the ultimate mitigating factor when considering his faults. “At the end of the day I will always go to a theater to see his movies and at least give it a shot because at a minimum I know I will at least get to see something that is visually stunning.”
However, even those who counted themselves Bay fans could not deny his shortcomings. Biostatistician Ryan Machtmes suggests that maximizing enjoyment of Bay’s work means clearly defining one’s expectations. “Truthfully, I watch his movies because they're just that: [movies],” he says. “No, I don't go to his movies expecting art, but sometimes a movie is just a movie, an escape into the fantastic and a way to just watch something and be entertained by it for purposes of relaxation and unplugging my otherwise always-on brain.”
Still others maintain that Bay’s appeal is a function of his time. “He came to power as the resurgence of the indie film crowd began to wane,” says fan Craig Dougherty. “After the minimalist early 90's that birthed [Steven] Soderbergh, [Kevin] Smith, [Richard] Linklater, and [Quentin] Tarantino, I think the general audience was itching to return to the big budget action genre.” Dougherty further argues that Bay doesn’t ever aim “to neglect emotion or substance, he [just] chooses to focus on delivering that message through high octane action rather than story and character development. He's the purest definition of a movie director currently working in Hollywood, and I can respect that moniker.”
But again, Bay has cultivated a legion of hecklers over the years who are just as vocal, if not moreso. “Michael Bay is the most frustrating filmmaker,” asserts Anthony Donovan Stokes, “because he has an endless amount of resources, and completely squanders them on aesthetics instead of actually storytelling.” Mikus Duncis adds, “he has a lot of untapped potential and indulges himself way too much.” Duncis also echoed oft-heard criticisms of both the length and poor comedy of Bay’s films. “His films are way too long and have an absurdly large amount of unfunny, offensive supporting characters and the story is always somehow muddled. If he could learn how to make a straight up 90-minute action films with a bare-bones minimal plot and no comic relief, I think he would be known for making great, fun and fast paced action.”
Some have argued that Bay’s offenses run even deeper, and that he is in fact a detriment to film. “I think Michael Bay's biggest crime as a filmmaker is that he perpetuates cynicism in numerous aspects of the movie-going experience,” contends Patrick Girts, “his films are very well made products, but they rarely respect the audiences watching them.” Most damning of all, Girts points out, is that “despite that lack of respect, [Bay’s movies] make money hand over fist. More studios are adopting this model, and quality storytelling pays the price.”
Surprisingly, no matter the side of the fence polled people happened to fall, many of them had ready-made associations locked and loaded.
“The man is like your cheesy bachelor uncle. He's loud, curses and drinks a lot, always has some new skeeze he calls a girlfriend with him, and is definitely not someone you want to hang out with long term, but he brings over all the cool fireworks on the 4th of July and let you have some of his beer one time so he's alright,” says Tony Rex Bowler, Houston.
“Michael Bay is like a student of the culinary arts,” says Jose Antonio Rivera of New York City. “He knows the ingredients, he knows the recipe, but when it comes to actually making the food, he pulls it out before it's fully cooked. He sprinkles his films with a dash of style to cover up the fact that it's undercooked and then proceeds to tell you how ‘good’ it is.”
Jordan Worth Cobb of Conway, Arkansas calls Bay “a painter,” but backhands him by suggesting that he “goes for what's easy and doesn't try.” Anthony Donovan Stokes, Manassas, Virginia is even less kind. “[Bay] is a ten-year-old boy in a fifty-year-old man’s body. A really dumb, impatient, perverted, hyperbolic, defensive 10 year old.”
Inversely, Ryan Timothy of Brace, Montreal compares Bay to his contemporaries and gives the Armageddondirector the advantage. “I know Zack Snyder has the image of a teenager with a camera, but Bay was, still and will probably always be that guy for me,’ Timothy says.
But for every fan, there’s a naysayer. “He seems to be a living example of what would happen if you gave a frat dude a very technical understanding of film and millions of dollars and told him to make a movie,” says Stephan Krosecz of Cypress, Texas. “The only difference is you'd find a lot more kegs of crappy beer, Gatorade, and Mountain Dew on set.”
It seems the relationship between Michael Bay and movie consumers is no less complicated now than it was when he first appeared on the scene in the mid-90s. Bay fan T.C. De Witt may have summed it up best when he said, “aficionados of film consider him a hack and a disease to the art of filmmaking, but he doesn't make art movies; he doesn't make intelligent movies. He makes the movies he loves with the stuff he loves. That passion, even if it's shallow to most, should be admired.” Further putting things in perspective, Angela Behm reminds us that “for all the hate [Bay] may garner, at least he's not Uwe Boll.”
More: Michael Bay: 'I Will Apologize For 'Armageddon'''Pain &amp; Gain' And 9 Comedies Inspired By Horrific EventsSee Wahlberg &amp; Johnson at the 'Pain &amp; Gain' Premiere
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Kimberly Peirce, Chloë Moretz, and Julianne Moore on the set of Carrie
After losing out on a 2013 Oscar nomination in the Best Director category, Ben Affleck and his film Argo became the season's biggest talking point. After losing out on a 2013 Oscar nomination in the Best Director category, Kathryn Bigelow and her film Zero Dark Thirty faded out of the picture.
Already battling wishy-washy political arguments that threatened to shift the spotlight away from the film, Bigelow's docudrama thriller was all but knocked out of Oscar consideration when the critically acclaimed director failed to sit alongside 2012's contenders. The snub was a reminder of a sad fact that remains a talking point each year: In the 85-year history of the Academy Awards, only four women have been nominated for the "Best Director" Oscar. And only of them won: Bigelow, for 2009's The Hurt Locker.
There's an imbalance of female and male directors represented in the Hollywood mainstream. It's a point argued year after year, yet it's a statistic that never seems to change. According to a study by Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, Executive Director, Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, School of Theatre, Television and Film, 18 percent of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films of 2012 were women. And only 9 percent of all directors working on those films were women. While that's a 4 percent bump up from 2011, the percentage of women directors working in 2012 was the same as in 1998.
In 2013, three women are slated to direct studio-driven, wide-released feature films: Tyler Perry Presents Peeples (May 10), directed by Tina Gordon Chism, Carrie (Oct. 18), directed by Kimberly Peirce, and Disney's animated feature Frozen (Nov. 27), co-directed by Jennifer Lee alongside Chris Buck. A few more will sprout from between the blockbusters into limited releases: Sally Potter's Ginger &amp; Rosa (March 15), Sofia Copolla's Bling Ring (June 14), Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist (April 26), Maggie Carey's The To Do List (Aug. 16), Kelly Reichardt's Night Moves (Sept. 20), Susanne Bier's Serena (Sept. 27), Diablo Cody's Paradise, and the Soska sisters' American Mary. Women are making movies, but considering the sheer number of films in theaters from year to year, they're not making enough movies — and they're rarely making them with the support of Hollywood.
RELATED: Kathryn Bigelow: Oscars' 'Best Directors' Didn't Need to Be a Boy's Club
Chism, screenwriter of 2002's Drumline and 2006's ATL, makes her directorial debut this spring with Peeples, but breaking through as a female force in Hollywood required hard bargaining. "I've always been attracted to writer/directors and Nancy Meyers was a huge inspiration for me in her work," Chism says. "So, as a writer, I've used my script as leverage to get in the room to plead my case to direct it. If I didn't have that script, I don't think I would have been given the opportunity."
With Peeples — which stars Craig Robinson and Kerry Washington — ready for release, Chism already has a follow-up in place, a thriller set up at Sony. Despite having a feature under her belt, Chism says the process was the same: more teeth-pulling, more clinging to her script, more proving herself capable.
The writer/director recalls her first studio meeting, during which Fox gave her a number of different script ideas, none of which worked for the budding filmmaker. "We talked about all kinds of ideas and I hated all of the things they pitched me," Chism says. "I thought, 'This is a nightmare.' In that meeting, they told me they were toying around with a movie about a band. At the time, it was about a white kid and a black kid who can't read. And I come from the South and my mind went to historically black colleges. Thank God. And I remember, they were like, 'There are all-black colleges?'"
"I'm not sure if I'll have to do that forever," Chism says. "I think it has to do with power, basically, and in this industry, the writer doesn't hold the largest bit of power. So it's more palatable for people to deal with women as writers." Hollywood does appear to be more receptive to hiring females in that role; Lauzen's study reveals that women account for 15 percent of the writers working on the top 250 films of 2012.
Like Chism, Jennifer Lee also comes from a writing background. Before being recruited by Disney Animation head honcho John Lasseter to co-direct Frozen, Lee had sold two screenplays: an adaptation of John Steinbeck's The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights and an original script being developed at Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way production company. She was brought into the Disney fold by her Phil Johnston, a friend from Columbia University's film school who recruited her to write on Wreck-It Ralph. After meeting weekly for years in order to "push each other as writers," Johnston asked Lee if she would be willing to move to Los Angeles on a week's notice to take over Wreck-It's script, which he had initially developed years before. The success of the 2012 Oscar nominee — and the nurturing environment of a long-gestating animated film — landed her the job co-directing Frozen.
Concept art from Jennifer Lee's Frozen
RELATED: Why 2012 Was Not 'The Year of he Woman'
Unlike live-action's homogeneous roster of filmmakers, animation has traditionally welcomed female directors. In 2012, Brenda Chapman became the first woman to receive an Oscar for Best Animated Feature for Brave (sharing it with Mark Andrews, who took over as director halfway through production). Vicky Jenson (Shark Tale) nearly took home the award in 2001 for co-directing Shrek — in the category's first year, only the producers were awarded with the gold statue. In the grand scheme of Hollywood, Jennifer Yuh Nelson possessed the most important honor: Her Dreamworks Animation film, Kung Fu Panda 2, is the highest-grossing female-helmed movie of all time, with a whopping worldwide gross of $665.7 million.
In terms of creativity, box office numbers are inconsequential. But in Hollywood, they're a calling card and a record-setting number like Nelson's Kung Fu Panda 2 gross goes a long way. Which explains why women filmmakers are climbing uphill to get projects with larger budgets off the ground. Running down the list of the highest-grossing directors of all time (based on BoxOfficeMojo.com's director filmography totals), we don't find a woman until No. 60: Lana Wachowski, director of The Matrix trilogy, who first entered the industry as a man. Further down at No. 81 is Betty Thomas, one of the few women to have shaped a career out of directing modest blockbusters. Including The Brady Bunch Movie, Doctor Dolittle, 28 Days, and the recent Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Thomas' films have collected nearly $563.3 million.
NEXT: Moviegoing Demographic Myths and Why Female-Driven Blockbusters Work
Chloë Moretz in Carrie
For women to stake a claim in box office history, they must be given the opportunity to direct blockbusters, the type of genre filmmaking narrowly aimed at adolescent boys. A 2011 study released by the Motion Picture Association of America cites that the gender composition of moviegoers was balanced, about 51 percent women, 49 percent men, with the 25 - 39 age demographic representing the largest portion of the audience, around 28 percent. Yet most of the major studio tentpoles are male-driven. Out of 45 movies based on comic books released between 2003 and 2013, only one of them was directed by a woman: Lexi Alexander's 2008 film Punisher: War Zone.
The lack of women represented in genre movies makes Kimberly Peirce's horror remake Carrie an event in itself. Like many female directors actively working in the film industry, Peirce is hesitant to make gender divide a talking point when discussing her new adaptation of the Stephen King classic. The Boys Don't Cry and Stop-Loss director wants to be seen as simply that — a director. Still, she believes women do add perspective to genre stories, and in the case of Carrie, perspectives that echo themes laid down by the book's author.
"What I love about King was, he was writing about a fear of the period," Peirce says. The director recalls King's notorious experience of working as a janitor and discovering a bloody tampon, a terrifying event that Peirce revels in. "Women may have fear about their tampons and their menstrual cycles, but you know what? They’ve got to deal with it on a monthly basis. It’s a fear that you know in a way that this guy may not know. So it took on epic proportions. So it is really interesting that it was a man’s fear that birthed [the story], and then I get to [view it] through a different tunnel."
Peirce acknowledges that Brian De Palma, director of the acclaimed 1976 version of Carrie, knows "a lot about women." Peirce also finds her approach to the material unique, because it's informed from personal experiences. "The truth is, I have a mother and I have had wars with my mother [and] I know what those wars feel like," Peirce says. "I know what those feel like from my perspective, the claustrophobia in the female-female, mother-daughter relationship. I also know how snarky the girls can be. It doesn’t mean the men can’t be. Female terror is a very interesting terror. It’s relentless, it’s diffuse, it communicates."
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For her follow-up to Peeples, Chism made a point to pen a thriller with a strong female voice, and it's a challenge for her. According to the writer/director, Drumline, ATL, and Peeples all tested higher with men, and she sees that as the result of an ability to write strong male characters. With her next movie, she wants to challenge the pre-conceived notions of what a movie with strong female characters has to be about. "I think that the similarities that a lot of minorities have to face — whether it's a woman in business or African-American — sometimes the reaction is, 'I don't want to make it about me being a woman,'" Chism says. "But I've yet to find the formula to walking into a room and an executive not seeing both things when they see me."
Over the course of her career, she's well-aware of what an executive is looking for from her. "I [can] feel the expectations that, 'Oh, you're going to do a chick flick and that's going to diminish the numbers we do.' I'd say that's 100 percent the case."
Producer Gale Anne Hurd is one of the rarities, a female producer who, while never stepping into the director's chair, has helped both men and women bring sci-fi blockbusters, independent dramas, and hit TV shows to life. In 2013, Hurd launched another season of her hit horror show The Walking Dead and debuted the teen romance drama Very Good Girls at the Sundance Film Festival. And yet, even she doesn't see much of a home for women at the movie studios. "I think it speaks to the fact that independent film is where it's at, because there were more films than ever at Sundance directed by women," Hurd says. "And mainstream film has really taken a step backward in so many ways and one significant factor is that you don't find much diversity in the ranks of directors. Now that's changing a lot in television and I think some of the best work right now is on television. The strides that women are making as directors on television is more than compensating for the steps back in the ranks of major studio directors."
The latest from Jane Campion — another of the female quartet to have been nominated for the Best Director Oscar — is a prime example of Hurd's observation. Sundance Channel's upcoming series Top of the Lake, a deeply cinematic crime procedural, was written and directed by Campion. The series premiered in full at this year's Sundance — the first TV series to do so at the festival. Along with Campion's ambitious project, the festival also played host to a number of female-directed indies, including Lynn Shelton's Touchy Feely, Lake Bell's In a World…, Jerusha Hess' Austenland, and Stacie Passon’s Concussion. Thanks to a frenzy of distribution company purchasing, most are expected to arrive in theaters this year.
NEXT: Hollywood, Wake Up and Make a Change
Kerry Washington, Craig Robinson, and David Alan Grier in Tina Gordon Chism's Tyler Perry Presents Peeples
In the male-dominated world of directing, those with clout are the ones who can bring along sea change. The female voices are there, they just need to be cultivated and supported. Lee has not been working with Disney for long, but the animation process naturally helped her rise to the top. It promoted her organically. "Animation relies on a large team of people — story artists, visual development artists, animators, and a diverse production staff," Lee says. "And we don't just work together on one film and move on; I'm working with a lot of the same folks I worked with on Ralph. Working together for years, we really get to know each others' strengths and talents. The women get the chance to shine equally."
Chism's film recently swapped titles, shifting from We the Peeples to Tyler Perry Presents Peeples. After persisting to hold onto her romantic comedy and direct it herself, she was okay with the change. "They got the movie, they got the script. Leverage diminished."
Adding Perry to the marquee also works in her favor: With a built-in audience, a stamp of approval from the Madea mastermind is the cinematic version of "Oprah's Book Club." He also worked as Chsim's biggest supporter. "Tyler was very supportive," she says. "He just let me do my thing. He read it, he had his ideas, and then he said, 'You know what, I'm just going to let you go for it and I want to see what your voice would be, your take would be.' When he needed to block for me or support me, he did that. I have nothing but appreciation for him as a producer."
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Diablo Cody, who wrote the upcoming Evil Dead remake and is expected to have her own directorial debut, Paradise, arrive sometime this year, shares the frustration over the gender divide. She sums up her feelings with comment that may sound defeatist, but it's honest and steadfast: "It's been that way for a long time, so I'm just doing what I can."
Lee feels similarly, letting her work on Frozen and her collaboration with co-director Buck speak for itself. "We share a sense of storytelling that doesn't feel male or female. I think we were cast together because of our shared vision for Frozen, and because we work well together."
On the first day of shooting Peeples, Perry phoned Chism with words of wisdom. "He called and said, 'Put your head down and make a great movie. That's all anyone cares about. No one cares about anything else other than delivering a great movie. Have a great one, bye.'" From childhood, Chism was taught that "excellence in work is really the only barrier-breaking formula." The mantra pushed her each day on Peeples, even when the scenes were at their silliest. "At the end of the day, for me, whether I'm a female or male, there's a lot of investment, a lot on the line, and you have to make your day, make it good, and make a great film."
This year will see the release of three studio films directed by women — a minuscule number. Diversity doesn't have to be forced into the industry — hiring talented directors should always be the priority — but capable and creative female filmmakers are out there, waiting to be employed. They can take on any project, not just ones that boast demographics skewing towards their own gender. "I think a good director can do anything," Peirce says. "James Cameron was not an Avatar. Coppola was not a Godfather. You’re always looking to any character and figuring out where you want to take it."
Cody gives us a little hope for the future (or at least, this year): "Let's look at the positives, which is that the worst movies are dumped in the first quarter of the year. So maybe it means the women directed all the good ones."
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
Additional reporting by Michael Arbeiter and Kelsea Stahler
[Photo Credit: Screen Gems, Hollywood.com, Walt Disney Pictures, Screen Gems, Nicole Rivelli/Lionsgate]

Smash is a musical drama that sparks a flurry of emotions in anyone who watches it. People either love it, hate it, love to hate it, hate to love it, love iet so much that it eventually turns to hate, hated it until they started to love to hate it now they just hate to hate it. There are so many choices! So to help celebrate all the outrageous, over-the-top, and fantastically farfetched moments, we present to you a weekly recap filled with the best Smash superlatives!
With Jerry now at the helm of Bombshell, the group decided to host a read-through so everyone could hear Julia and Pete’s (the dramaturg) new book. Julia was excited and calm to debut her new take on Marilyn and the men who made her, however she ran into a friend who told her that Pete recently destroyed the career of another writer by steering her in the wrong direction and then rewriting a better script of his own. It turns out Pete did write his own version of Bombshell. His assistant (Hairspray leading-lady Nikki Blonsky) inadvertently spilled the news to Julia.
When Julia confronted Pete, he denied the whole thing, encouraged Julia to go through with the reading, and the entire team—especially Derek—absolutely loved the new book. However Jerry decided that he would rather produce a flashy and fun version of Bombshell and the group was split down the middle with what creative direction they want to take. It was decided that Eileen would be the deciding factor and as the drama nears the 10:55 mark Eileen says, "Well, my decision is..." fade to black, cue the "next week on Smash". Damn you, cliffhanger!
RELATED: ‘Smash’ Superlatives: New Song
Karen decided the host a read-through of Hit List for Jimmy and Kyle so a bunch of her theater friends came over, read the first act, and realized that the writing is really bad. However everyone decided that the songs were amazing so after some emotional tug-of-war between Kyle and everyone else, they decided that Hit List should go the way of Rent and become a musical with only songs. Karen and Jimmy decided to keep things professional and just be “friends” but the audience sees that Jimmy and Kyle think that she is actually dating Derek.
Ivy was a week into rehearsing for her new Broadway-bound version of Dangerous Liaisons (or Les Liaisons Dangereuses if you want to get all fancy about it) when her male lead, comedy actor Terrence Falls (Sean Hayes), finally decided to show up. Terrence was too afraid to show his vulnerabilities as an actor so he decided to turn this tragedy into a comedy. However, Ivy was not going to let this movie star ruin her big break, so she encouraged Terrence to tap into his emotions. The actor took this to mean that he should go off his six or seven different types of medications and Ivy quickly realized that her play is screwed.
RELATED: ‘Smash’ Superlatives: The Dramaturg
Best Original Song: “Public Relations” — the big new possible opening for Bombshell's second act captures the essence of Broadway in the best way possible. It was three minutes of pure fun.
Best Cover Song: Karen’s reinvented and slowed-down version of Death Cab for Cutie, “Some Boys” was absolutely angelic. The lighting and Karen’s sweet (yet almost obsessive) way of following Jimmy around the apartment was a really unique Smash experience.
Best Insult: In order to stress the severity of an impressive read-through, Derek thought it would be best to be as brutally honest as possible with Julia: “We can't afford for you to stumble again, and neither can your career.” Ouch!
Best-Backhanded Compliment: The group of actors give their opinion of Hit List after their rough read-though, “The concept is cool, but the dialogue and characters need some work.”
Most Awkward Moment: Karen looks at Jimmy like he’s some kind of a musically talented Greek god (hey, we would too). So it was heartbreakingly awkward when some little blonde with sex hair appeared half naked asking where the coffee is. Can you say player?
RELATED: ‘Smash’ Superlatives: The Season 2 Premiere
Dumbest Line: Karen’s new roommate, Ana, is trying so hard to be relevant in this episode — going to kickboxing class, offering boy advice, and encouraging Karen to call Jimmy. So when Karen gets a call from Derek that he’d like to get Hit List into a small showcase, it’s obvious that Karen now has the perfect excuse to call her crush. So it was especially eye-rolling when Ana wore an overly-smug expression and said, “Something tells me you just found your reason to call.”
Biggest WTF Moment: Watching our beloved Sean Hayes bumble around the stage acting like an immature 12-year-old reciting lines. We understand that he’s supposed to be a comedic actor but the entire persona that he put on is just one big head-scratching, sigh-inducing fiasco.
Most Swoon-Worthy Moment: Listening to Jimmy sing, “Caught in the Storm.” Up until now we’ve only heard Karen’s version of the song and let’s be real, he blows her out of the water.
Best Verbal Bitchslap: Eileen showed us that sometimes the best insults can be said in the sweetest voices. As she was hanging up the phone with some frustrating little assistant she quipped, “And by the way, you’re terrible at your job.”
Best Almost-Kiss: Karen and Jimmy almost had a perfect NYC rooftop kiss, the wind was blowing, the lighting was romantic and they both are ridiculously attractive. However the moment was completely when Jimmy offered Karen his hand and said, “Friends?” Why has he never bothered to ask her if she's actually dating Derek?
Biggest Bombshell Blunder: The Bombshell creative team is completely split down the middle and they can’t decide on a creative direction for their show. Will they go for a flashy and fun portrayal of an icon, or an insightful and emotional journey of Marilyn and the men who made her? Eileen will reveal her answer next week!
RELATED: ‘Smash’ Scoop: New Showrunner Talks Season 2 Changes
What did you think of “New Song”? Which superlatives would you like to add to the list? Sing your thoughts in the comments below!
Follow Leanne on Twitter @LeanneAguilera
[Photo Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/NBC]
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